Ramaeka (The Ramaeka Series Book 1) (24 page)

He stopped,
tensing.  "What is that?"

Ramaeka and
Tam looked at each other confused.

"Can't
you hear it?”

As they
shrugged their confusion he turned towards Amar who had walked up behind him.
 Silently he held up the sheathed sword.

"Oh,”
Stripe breathed reaching for it.  He slid the sword from the sheath
stroking a hand down the blade.  For the first time Ramaeka got a good
look at the sword.  The blade was tempered metal with a blue sheen to it
that he'd never seen in a metal before.  The hilt was wrapped in plain
black leather while the guard was shaped like the heads of two wolves; the
pommel was white crystal which seemed to glow.

"Where
did you get it?"

Amar smiled.
 "An old acquaintance lent it to us.”

"This is
Gasha's sword,” Stripe stared at them.

"It is
yours now.”

Ramaeka
exchanged an amused look with Amar.  It was strange after all they had been
through to get the sword to hand it over so calmly.  He had expected
explosions or at least life threatening situations.  Stripe was nearly
speechless.

"I-I
can't,” he stammered clutching at the sword.  He swore as the keen blade
cut his palm.

"Now ye
have to,” Tam handed him a piece of cloth from his pocket.  "Sword
law, ye've given blood to 'er now.”

Stripe blushed
shaking his head but carefully wiped the blade before sliding it back into
its sheath.  He pulled off his old battered sword and looked around
unsurely for somewhere to put it.

"Let me
hold on to it for you,” Amar offered holding out his hand.  Stripe gave it
to him before buckling on the new one.  He took a deep breath before
turning back to them.

"Right,
what are our orders?”

"The
General wanted us to make a sweep of the eastern ridge and make sure it's
vermin free,” Ramaeka told him helpfully.

He nodded.
 'We were headed that way too, we did a northern sweep, but I heard they
were over near Eagle Ridge.”

"Why
don't we group up 'n fan out?” Tam suggested.  "Keep yer wits and
swords about ye and call out iffen there’s trouble.”

Everybody
agreed and splitting into three groups of four they proceeded towards the east
a block apart.  Stripe fell in step beside Ramaeka's head as they went
cautiously up their street.  Amar and another soldier followed close
behind, eyes scanning the street and buildings.  Keeping an eye out
Ramaeka was finally able to ask something that was niggling at him.

"Where are
the others?” he whispered.  For a moment he thought Stripe wasn't going to
answer.

“Shady left
before we got to the gates,” Stripe mumbled.  “He didn’t want to fight.”

“Sorry,” he
said surprised.  Stripe and Shady had always seemed inseparable.

Stripe
shrugged.  “I think it’s better this way, he’s safe.  It’s just
strange not having him here.”

Ramaeka
nodded.

“What about
Parrit and Gelber?” he asked changing the subject.

Stripe grinned
slightly.  “They were mowing down the enemy last time I saw them.” 

 Ramaeka
huffed a quiet laugh.  That sounded about right.

He looked at
Ramaeka.  “So you really don’t actually eat people?”

Ramaeka
shrugged.  “It’s why I fought with my father, I like humans but not to eat.”

Noticing
Stripe still looked sceptical he added “There’s a law being put through at the
moment that bans eating humans.”  Stripe nodded thoughtfully.

Shouts erupted
from the group one block over to the right.

"Back to
work,” Ramaeka sighed.

"Stay
here and watch the street,” Stripe called to the other two.  "Yell if
you see anything.” 

 Ramaeka
saw Amar frown but shook his head at him.  He nodded and stepped into the
shadows while Ramaeka raced after Stripe.  Tam and his three soldiers were
fighting what looked like a cross between a troll and a mountain cat.  It
had brown fur with a cats head, huge yellow fangs and nasty looking claws.
 Its body was squat like a troll and muscular, despite that it was agile
and quick on its feet.  Two of the men were bleeding from deep scratches
which they grimly ignored.  Right that’s it Ramaeka decided.  He
leapt out fangs bared, claws at the ready, tail spike raised and roared.
 The creature screeched in shock and turned to flee.  Tam coolly shot
it in the back as it ran.  As his roar continued to echo through the city
Ramaeka could see other creatures fleeing in the distance.  Tam and two of
the other soldiers shot several with impressive accuracy.

"Nice,”
Stripe said impressed.  Tam hummed in agreement around the arrow he held in his
mouth as Ramaeka preened.  Loading the arrow into his crossbow he glanced
at them.

"Let's go
huntin' then.”

For the next
few hours they hunted through the east of the city checking every nook and
cranny under Tam's guidance.

"Lived
'ere for a few years when I was a lad,” he explained.  "Got to know
it inside out.”

While they
came across another few dozen creatures most fled ahead of Ramaeka's bristling,
growling form and were shot down by the others.  Stripe was inclined to
pout since there was little need to use his new sword until they ran into
another group of spider-boars which Amar called muskin.  If Stripe had
been talented with a sword before, now he was unstoppable.  The sword
flashed and spun as he decimated the muskin leaving only one for Tam to deal
with to Ramaeka's relief.  Other than the muskin and a particularly nasty
kelpie in a well, the only trouble they found was when Stripe checked a garden
for creatures.  Ramaeka sprang forward as he ran back out yelping.
Growling he looked for whatever creature that had dared to attack his friend.  Stripe
ducked behind him.  Honking and hissing a grey bird waddled after him.
 Ramaeka lowered his snout and growled softly.  The bird
took one look at him and fled honking.  Tam was hooting with
laughter, when he turned to look even Amar was laughing while Stripe was bright
red.  Ramaeka cocked his head at him.

"I hate
geese,” Stripe grumbled still flushed.  "Bites hurt like anything.”

Ramaeka shook
his head and kept walking, hiding his grin.

"They
have beady black eyes Ramaeka!  They stare right into my soul when they're
not biting me, I swear.”

Tam slapped
him lightly on the shoulder.

"Yon
geese be the terror of the city lad.”

Stripe
grumbled and followed Ramaeka as the others muffled their laughter.

As dawn broke
above them the General found them making their way past the bodies from the
second lot of muskin.

The General
strode up and clapped Stripe on the back.  He nodded up at Ramaeka, Amar
and the others.

“Nice to have
you here,” he said calmly.  “That was some good work you’ve been doing.”
 He gestured towards the dead monsters.

Ramaeka puffed
up his chest in pride.  “We do what we can,” he replied looking smug.

The other
soldiers hid their grins while Stripe rolled his eyes.

“Where would
you like us to battle next?” Amar asked politely.

The General
sighed.  “No need for that right now,” he replied indicating the walls
with a nod.

“The enemy is
retreating; we seem to have beaten the vanguard back for now.”

Stripe and
Ramaeka cheered while Amar leaned back in relief.

"I'll
meet yer later,” Tam said cheerfully saluting the General before jogging away
still full of energy despite the long night.

"He is a
good man,” Amar said while Stripe and Ramaeka both agreed wholeheartedly.

"Indeed.” 

 The General
eyed them thoughtfully.  “I don’t believe that will be the end of it, but
as we seem to have a little time we should eat and rest.”

Ramaeka agreed
profoundly, food sounded wonderful right then, it seemed ages since the meal
with Zanir.  With a sigh he slid back into his lesser form again.
 Stripe blinked down at him. 

 "I
forgot how small you were.”

Ramaeka
scowled and shoved him.  "For that I'm eating your share too.”

Turning the
General led them away towards the centre of the city where there was supposedly
supplies being cooked for the soldiers.

After being
shown where to wash up and where they could rest they were led to the eating
area which was packed with people by the time they got there.  Men and a
few women lounged about eating or talking in quiet groups.  Several
servers stood behind massive cauldrons, the smell of their contents making
Ramaeka drool.  Stripe sniggered and offered him a dirty cloth to wipe his
mouth with.  Ramaeka ignored him and wiped it on his sleeve instead.
 As they neared the serving area, Tam called out to them, waving them
over.  He sat with several important looking people and the two warrior
women of Shapir.

“I got yer
food for yer already,” he told them cheerfully gesturing at a bowl and a small
cauldron.

Ramaeka eyed
the delicious, still bubbling stew in the cauldron, and beamed at Tam happily.
 “Food!” he whooped grabbing the cauldron and a spoon.

Stripe sat
down with his bowl as the men at the table sniggered at Ramaeka.  Tam
looked at Ramaeka, scratching his head unsurely.  "Ra, that ye?” he
asked.  "Yer shrunk.”

"Still me,”
Ramaeka reassured him.  "This is my civilized look.”  He
attacked the cauldron of stew vigorously.

One of those
at the table, a huge bald man raised an eyebrow.

“This child
actually thinks he could eat a whole cauldron of this stew?” he drawled in
raspy tones.  “I could barely get through two bowls.”

Ramaeka
stopped eating for a moment to look him over.

“This child
will eat this cauldron of stew and whatever’s for dessert,” he replied solemnly
before turning his attention back to the food.

The men’s
amusement turned to awe as Ramaeka devastated the cauldron then looked around
for more.

“Rama above, I
would never have believed it if I hadn’t seen it,” the man commented.  “My
apologies boy, allow me to get you some more.”

He stood and
went in search of more food as the other men laughed and patted Ramaeka on the
back.

“Well that was
certainly impressive,” Parrit commented, moving to sit beside him.  Gelber
grabbed a seat opposite.

“Thank you, I
try my best,” Ramaeka replied modestly, while eyeing their food.  

Gelber
laughed, “Dragon or not, you are fine with me.”

Parrit nodded
agreement, tightening a bandage on her arm.  “As long as you don’t try to eat
us.  Trust me dragon boy, you would not like to do that.”

 Ramaeka
nodded respectfully to her before grinning at Gelber.

“You two look
like you’ve been in a battle,” he commented cheekily.  

 In addition
to the bandage on her arm, Parrit’s left side of her face was black with
bruises while Gelber had a cut running from temple to jaw.

 Gelber
laughed.  “You should see the enemy,” she smirked.

 Ramaeka
grinned back at her, relieved that things were coming right again and they had
forgiven him.  Especially as his new friend was returning with a massive
bowl of something that smelt sweet and delicious.
 As he finished the bowl of fruit and custard while the men encouraged him, a
messenger ran up, gasping for breath.

 “Sir,” he
managed between breaths.

 “Sit,” the
General commanded handing him a mug of water.  The runner sipped at the water
as his breath returned to normal.

 “Sir,” he
began again.  “The enemy has reinforcements arriving.”

The men at the
table began muttering until the General held up a hand for silence.

“They were
expected though not so soon,” he said. “How many?”

The messenger
met his eyes for a moment then hung his head.

“Sir, when
they arrive they will outnumber us twenty to one.”